Radiator shutter control



w. A. EDWARDS RADIATOR SHUTTER CONTROL Feb. 23, 1932.

Filed Feb. 21, 1929 till Patented Feb. 23, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE "WILLIAM A. EDWARDS, O1 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO STEWART-WARNER COB- .LOBATION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF RADIATOR SHUTTER CONTROL Application filed Iebruary 21, 1829. Serial 1T0. 341,007.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved construction for automatically regulating atmosphere access to the radiator oi an automobile engine according to the engine requirement of cooling to be effected by the atmosphere circulation through the radiator. It consists in the elements and features or construction shown and described as indicated in the claims.

In the drawings:

lFigure l is a diagrammatic view showing, as in side elevation, an apparatus embodying this invention in its relation to the shutter system of the radiator to be controlled therey an illustrated in the preceding figures, having all parts of the apparatus'assembled in the radiator trout which contains the shutter system.

lln apparatus and devices hitherto commonly employed for the general purpose of automatically regulating atmosphere access to the radiator of an internal combustion engine, for preventing overheating, no attention-or only minor attention,-seems to have been given to the matter of conserving the heat for maintaining effective runnin conditions durin alternating travel an halting oil the ve icle. Also in these commonl employed structures, reliance is placed whol y on utilizing the same temperature changes of the engine for effecting the adjustment of the shutter; which results in the shutter remaining wide open when the car 1s halted and stands, perhaps, facing cold wind which rapidly cools the radiator before the shutter becomes closed by the lowering of the temperature of the engine, thus wasting,

a large amount of energy which might be conserved by proper means, avoiding the delay in closing the shutter under such circumstances. a

, The present invention utilizes for operating the shutter, engine pressures which vary with running of the engine, and which cease when the engine stops, the degree of thesepressures havin been found to correspond very closely with the requirement 9f the engine for the cooling function of the radiator, to the extent that that function depends on atmosphere access to the radiator as con trolled by the shutter; and the decline of these engine pressures upon sto ping ofthe engine being so much more rapi and'prompt than the lowering of the en ine temperature, that there is avoided the undesirable delay in closing the shutter after the vehicle stops which constitutes ound of criticism 0 the common metho' s as above pointed out. Inasmuch as any openin of the shutter may usually be dispensed with when the engme is running at idling speed without load, and up to a certain minimum speed, and also under conditions of extreme atmospheric temperature tending to cool the on he sufficiently without any atmosphere circulation through the radiator, it may be found desirable in some types of engine and engine housing and protective casing, to associate with the means indicated operable by engine pressures, elements operated by change in engine temperature for establishin the connection for operating the shutter y the engine pressures, when, notwithstandin the suflicienc of these pressures, the engine is so coole by other means than the atmosphere circulation through the radiator, as not to require that circulation in any degree.

For utilizing the engine pressure selected for the purpose, whether for example the superatmospheric ressure of the exhaust manifold, or the su atmospheric pressure of the intake manifold, connection is made to any form of'expansible and reducible chamber--as a piston cylinder-the movable member of the wall of such chamber, whose movement causes or is caused by the enlargement and reduction of the fluid capacity of the chamber, is connected by any suitable and conveniently arranged means with the shuttor-adjusting means of the radiator and when it is considered desirable to limit the engine pressure control of the shutter adjus'tments to'a predetermined engine temperature, so that the shutter will not be adusted by the engine-pressure-operated 'means, unless the engine temperature is up .to a predetermined degree, the temperatureresponsive element positioned for being af fected by engine temperature is interposed construction, connected by an operating rod,--

20, which is attached to the lever arms, 21, provided at one end of the respective shutter vanes, and upheld normally by a spring, 23, at position for holding the shutter vanes closed, said operating rod being connected at its upper end by a link, 22, with an arm, 31, of a bell crank lever whose other arm, 30, is connected to the forwardly protruding end of the stem, 41, of the temperature-re sponsive device, which may be of any construction for varying the distance between its front and rear terminals, according to temperature change. The particular structure illustrated consists' ofa closed and resiliently expansible air chamber, 40, which, for convenience of mounting and connection and guidance of its connections, is enclosed in a casing, 42, and besides the forwardly projecting stem, 41, protruding from and obtaining sliding guidance in the forward head of the casing, 42, has a similar stem, 43,

projectingfrom its rear head and out through the rear head of the casing, 42, in rear of which it carries a terminal disk, 44.

'For afl'ording means for utilizing engine pressure to operate the shutter-adjusting means by thrust against the rear terminal of the stem, 43, there is mounted in any convenient position on any fixed part of the engine structure,-as on a bracket, 50, secured to the engine body.'a piston cylinder, 51, axially aligned with the resiliently expansibleand cont-ractible' air chamber, 40, and

having a piston, 52, reciprocable in, and having a. stem protruding from, the forward end of thecylinder, and provided with a disk terminal, 55, adapted by the alignment of the two reciprocable parts to collide with the'disk, 44, when the piston is thrust forward in the cylinder asufiicient distance by the engine pressure.

The piston cylinder, 51, is connected at its rear end by a duct, 56, with a source of engine pressure, the connection shown in Figure 1 being intended to be understood as either with the exhaust manifold or with the head of a selected cylinder of the engine,

so as to conduct super-atmospheric pressure to the cylinder, 51, behind the piston for forcing the latter forwardly. v

Theparts are dimensioned and mounted with respect to each other so that with the resilient air chamber in its normally collapsed or unexpanded condition, and at the position in the casing, 42, at which it is held by its connection with the shutter system when the latter is held normally closed by the action of the spring, 23, and with the piston, 52, also at its normal position when the engine is not running, the two terminal disks,-44 and 55 are separated a distance at least equal to the full stroke which the piston, 52, can make in, the cylinder, 51, under the engine pressure when the engine starts.

But this distance does not exceed the range of expansibility of the air chamber, 42, which is mounted against the engine body so as to experience expansion by engine heat when the engine is running. Accordingly, when the engine starts, and the pressure from the exhaust manifold or from an engine cylinder, entering the cylinder, 51, causes the piston to move forwardly in the cylinder, the terminal disk, 55, will encounter the terminal disk, 44, when the engine has been running long enough to become heated, and heat the expansible air chamber so as to cause that device to expand and thrust its rear stem rearward into encounter with the terminal of the piston stem.

The parts are dimensioned so thatat the predetermined temperature of the expansible and contractible air chamber, 42, which temr perature it may derive from the engine, the thrust of the piston stem against the stem of the air chamber expanded by the engine heat, will cause the two elements which constitute the connection of the piston to the bell crank lever to o erate as a. unit for actuating the bell crank l spring, 23, for operating the shutter. And t will be understood that the degree of openmg of the shutters will be determined by the degree of pressure operating in the cylinder, 51. And since the pressure, whether derived from the exhaust manifold or from one cylinder of the engine, corresponds approxiever in opposition to the engine temperature beyond the predeter- I mined degree at which the resulting expans on of the resilient air chamber, 42, bring- 1ng its terminal into collision with the termmal at the piston stem, causes the two elements to act as a unit for transmitting the engine pressure on the piston, 51, to the bell crank lever.

In the form shown in Figure 2, the engine pressure utilized is the sub-atmospheric pressure der ved from the engine intake manifold, which as a. negligible quantity brings into operation atmospheric pressure as the lid positive force for operating the piston. And accordingly in this construction the ressure connection to the cylinder indicate by the duct, 56, is made at the rear end instead of the forward end of the cylinder for obtaining the same rearward thrust of the piston as in the construction of Figure 1 is obtained by the super-atmospheric pressure connectio at the forward end of the cylinder.

ll claim:

l. in combination with means regulating atmosphere access to the exterior of the radiator of an'internal combustion engine, a device having an expansible and contractible chamber arranged to be connected with a cylinder of the engine served for access to said chamber of fluid pressure from the engine cylinder, and for building up pressure in said chamber, said chamber having a part i movable by the pressure built, up in the chamher, and operating connections from said movable partto said first mentioned means arranged tor enlarging said atmosphere access correspondingly to said built up pressure beyond a predetermined minimum ot' atmosphere access and a corresponding predeten mined minimum of built up ressure, said operating connections comprising two relatively movable parts, one of which is positively connected with the enginepressure-iintluenced element for positive movement by the movable part thereot, the other being positively connected with the atmosphere-acsees-regulating means at the radiator; means for disengageably connecting said two relatively movable parts to cause the first to actuate'the second, and temperature-responsive means exposed to engine temperature arranged tor engaging said two parts for movement of the second by the tirst upon predetermined temperature-caused-action at said temperature-responsive part. 2. in combination With means for regulating atmosphere access to the exterior of an engine radiator, a device comprising an cnpansible and contractible chamber arranged ior connection with a cylinder of the engine served for access to said chamber of fluid pressure from the engine cylinder, said chamber having apart movable by the pressure admitted to said chamber; an element operatively connected with the atmosphereaccess-regulating means of the radiator comprising a art mounted for movement into and out 0 position for encounter with the movable part of said expansible and contractible chamber and comprising a temperature-responsive member which is mounted for exposure to engine temperature and by which said part is carried in the temperatum-responsive movement toward and from the movable part of the expansible and contractible chamber. 4

3. In combination with means for regula ing atmosphere access to the exterior of an engine rirdiator, a temperature-responsive element mounted for exposure to engine temperature and operatively connected with said atmosphere-accessregulating means, a part 1 carried by said temperature-responsive element for movement by said element in the temperature-responsive movement of the latter, a device comprising an expansible and contractible chamber arranged for connection with a cylinder of the engine served for access to said chamber oi fluid pressure from the engine cylinder, said chamber having a part movableb the pressure admitted to said chamber, sald movable part and the part carried by the temperature-responsive element being positioned for encounter with each other in the movement of the first mentioned movable element due to engine pres sure and the movement of the second mentioned movable element due to rise of engine temperature beyond a predetermined deree. g d. in combination with means for regulating atmosphere access to the exterior or an engine radiator, a temperature-responsive element mounted for exposure to radiachain er having a part movable by the pres-' sure admitted to said chamber, said movable part and the part carried by the temperature responsive element being positioned for en counter with each other in the movement of the first mentioned movable element due to engine pressure and the movement 'of the second mentioned movable element due to rise of radiator temperature beyond a predetermined degree.

5. In an engine having a circulatory cooling s stem comprisin a radiator, in combinatlon with means lor regulating atmosphere access to the exterior of the radiator, a temperature-responsive element mounted for responding to change of temperature of the circulatory cooling system of the engine and operatively connected with said atmosphere-access-regulating means, a part carried by saidtemperature-responsive element for movementby said element in the temperature-responsive movement of the latter, a device comprising an expansible and contractible chamber arranged for connection with a cylinder of the engine served, for access to said chamber of fluid pressure from the engine cylinder, said chamber having. a part movable by the pressure admitted to said chamber, said movable: part; and the tit Edd

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part carried by the temperature-responsive element being positioned for encounter with each other in the movement of the first mentioned'movable element due to engine pressure, and the movement of the second mentioned movable element due to rise of temperature beyond a predetermined degree.

6. In an engine having a circulatory cooling system comprisin a radiator provided with means for regufating atmosphere access to the exterior of the radiator, and mechanical connection for operating said regulating means; a temperature-responsive element comprised in said connections mounted in position to be substantially affected by the temperature of the circulatory cooling system, a device comprising an expansible and contractible chamber operatively associated with a cylinder of the engine served for access of fluid pressure from the cylinder to said chamber, said chamber having a part movable by said fluid pressure, and apart connected for movement with the temperature-responsive element into and out of position for completing mechanical connection between the fiuid-pressure-actuated part and the regulating-means-operating connection.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Chicago, Illinois, this 13th day of February, 1929. A

WILLIAM A. EDWARDS. 

